| Classes: | Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:30pm–5:20pm THH 213 · https://usc.zoom.us/j/92101762099 Note the Zoom classroom we will be using for class! |
| Piazza: | https://piazza.com/usc/spring2023/csci625 |
| Instructor: | Mukund Raghothaman (raghotha@usc.edu) |
| Office hours: | Fridays, 3:30pm–5:20pm, or by appointment |
This course is about the theory and practice of algorithmic program verification. We will discuss how programmers can prove that their code is correct, and how this process may be automated. We will study SAT and SMT solvers, and learn how to use them and how they work. These are sophisticated reasoning engines, and their use increasingly impacting other areas of computer science. We will see how they can be used to build automatic program synthesizers, which produce code that is correct-by-construction. [Syllabus]
Prerequisites: First, the course will expect a certain amount of mathematical maturity from its students, at least at the level of CSCI 170, and preferably at the level of CSCI 270. Second, we will be reasoning about code: we expect that the student will already be proficient in writing it.
Note: The syllabus and schedule listed on this webpage are tentative, and may be updated as the course progresses. Please check back regularly!
The course will consist of four homework assignments and an open-ended project, graded equally. The homework assignments are intended to develop familiarity with the material covered in class. In the project, you will apply and extend ideas from the course to a research problem of your choice. The project may be done either alone or in pairs. Please consult the instructor for feedback while choosing project topics.
| Jan 9 | Course introduction, motivation, logistics. [Slides], [Recording] |
| Jan 11 | Propositional logic, satisfiability and validity. [Notes], [Recording] |
| Jan 16 | No class. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. |
| Jan 18 | Propositional logic, contd. [Notes], [Recording] |
| Jan 23 | Basics of SAT solvers: DPLL and unit propagation, solving Horn-SAT and 2-SAT in polynomial time [Notes], [Recording] |
| Jan 25 | Conflict-Driven Clause Learning. [Notes], [Recording] |
| Jan 30 | Introduction to Satisfiability Modulo Theories, solvers for LRA. [Notes], [Recording] |
| Feb 1 | SMT (contd.): Difference logic, theory of equality. [Notes], [Recording] |
| Feb 6 | SMT (contd.): The theory of EUF, congruence closure, DPLL(T). [Notes], [Recording] |
| Feb 8 | SMT (contd.): The Nelson-Oppen procedure. [Recording] |
| Feb 13 | Paper presentations. Sam talked to us about model counting; Brian, James, and Zizhao described verification algorithms for neural networks; Marta and Iordanis talked about using machine learning for decision heuristics; Iurii talked about the worst-case behavior of resolution. [Recording] |
| Feb 15 | Introduction to program synthesis. [Recording] |
| Feb 20 | No class. President's Day. |
| Feb 22 | Specifying user intent with SyGuS. [Notes], [Recording] |
| Feb 27 | The enumerative SyGuS solver, and counter-example guided inductive synthesis (CEGIS). [Recording] |
| Mar 1 | Prioritized search and symbolic synthesis algorithms. [Notes], [Recording] |
| Mar 6 | Paper presentations. [Recording] |
| Mar 8 | The program verification problem for a simple programming language. [Recording] |
| Mar 13 | No class. Spring Break. |
| Mar 15 | No class. Spring Break. |
| Mar 20 | Symbolic execution. [Recording], [Aldrich and Le Goues: Notes on symbolic execution] |
| Mar 22 | Hoare triples, weakest preconditions, and strongest postconditions. [Recording] |
| Mar 27 | The rules of Hoare logic. [Recording] |
| Mar 29 | Invariants, inductive invariants, and automatic invariant inference. [Recording] |
| Apr 3 | Proving program termination. [Recording] |
| Apr 5 | Introduction to predicate abstraction. [Recording] |
| Apr 10 | Predicate abstraction, contd. [Recording] |
| Apr 12 | Abstract interpretation, more generally. [Recording] |
| Apr 17 | Paper presentations. [Recording] |
| Apr 19 | Student project presentations. [Recording] |
| Apr 24 | Student project presentations. [Recording] |
| Apr 26 | Course recap and research outlook. |
From Dornsife's academic conduct policy: Plagiarism—presenting someone else's ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words—is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Part B, Section 11, "Behavior Violating University Standards." Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct, here.
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Note on collaborative work: For collaborative projects, students are expected to have equal distribution of work. If there is any perceived imbalance in the collaborative project, the student should bring this to the attention of the instructor or the teaching assistant.
Assistance with writing and disabilities: Several USC's schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing. Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute which sponsors courses and workshops specifically for international graduate students. The Office of Disability Services and Programs provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations. If an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information will provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology.
Last updated: Wed Apr 26 12:19:53 PM PDT 2023